1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to flexible packages, and more particularly to flexible packages for holding products, which when filled can be disposed closely adjacent one another without significant wasted space therebetween.
2. Description of Related Art
Stand-up pouches, are commercially available and typically include so-called “zipper-type” closures. Examples, of such packages are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,036 (Richison et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,272 (Richison et al.), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,272 (Richison et al.). Stand-up packages including pour spout fitments are also known in the prior art. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,613 (Bell) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,528 (Bell).
Other prior art patents disclose flexible stand up packages for flowable materials and which include handles for lifting or transporting those packages. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,479 (Bell), U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,120 (Bell), U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,318 (Bell) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,037 (Bell).
It has also been suggested to provide a stand-up pouch including a zipper type closure and a fitment pour spout for holding materials that include solid or semi-solid bodies and a liquid, e.g., maraschino cherries in juice, to enable the solid/semi-solid bodies to be removed from the package via the zipper closure and to enable the liquid to be poured from the package via the fitment.
While the foregoing prior art packages may be generally suitable for their intended purposes, they nevertheless leave much to be desired from the standpoint of providing a compact structure when filled to enable similar filled packages to be disposed immediately adjacent one another without significant wasted space therebetween.